The Reluctant Barbarian

"Look, fellas, is this really necessary?" Lunk asked, holding his big hands out to show they were empty. "I get you're mad, but we're grown men. Let's just pull a few pints, and see if we can figure this out. My treat, what do you say?"

"I'll tell you what I say," Crandle snarled, snatching his dagger off of his belt. "I say the time for talk is past."

Crandle strode across the room, his face twisted in fury, but Lunk didn't seem to notice. A shiver went through him, and a low moan like a child afraid of punishment slipped out of his mouth. When Crandle swung his blade, though, Lunk caught his hand. Crandle grunted, then screamed as his knuckles cracked like walnuts in the iron grip. The dagger fell to the floor, and a hammer blow drove Crandle to the ground after it. Teeth bounced along the boards, and blood pooled on the wood.

The eyes that looked up at the others were the same blue as Lunk's, but they were colder. Harder. He bared his teeth, and stepped over Crandle's body. He balled his hands into fists, the heavy cords of muscle straining in his forearms.

"I tried," Lunk said, his voice straining like he was losing a battle against the tide. "But you just... wouldn't... listen."

There were no more words after that. Only shouts of pain, and the sounds of broken bones.

Don't poke the bear. He might poke back.

The Reluctant Barbarian

When most people think of barbarians, they probably think of iconic examples like Conan, or even Kull. Characters who are decisive, and who pit themselves against their opponents with everything they have. However, there are some barbarians who may try to avoid conflict. Who try to keep the whirling frenzy of their Rage buried, only tapping into it as a last resort, or letting it free when they cannot contain it any longer.

That's how you wind up with a reluctant barbarian.

The key to this character is to decide what form their Rage takes, and to then ask what alternatives to their Rage they try first. For example, your barbarian might be a stealthy hunter, trying to sneak past foes, or to take them unawares hoping that striking the first blow might mean combat is over too quickly to awaken the beast within. Alternatively, your barbarian might rely on diplomacy to try to find mutual ground with their foes, settling differences through talking over a beer. Or they might use intimidation to frighten opponents into backing down so it's not even necessary to draw a weapon.

However, sooner or later, the cage is going to open up. That's the whole point of this concept, after all; what fun is Jekyll if Hyde doesn't put in at least a few appearances? That's why you need to ask why your barbarian is reluctant, and what they're trying to hold back.

As a for instance, was your barbarian raised in a cult, their body and soul offered to a grotesque demon lord to use as a vessel so that, when they Rage, they grow horns, thick skin, and spines, becoming an avatar of that monster? Was your barbarian a real hellraiser in their youth, and now they're horrified by the person they used to be, so they're reluctant to give into those instincts that let them write their reputation in blood? Or did they make a deal with something, and while that something kept them alive, it still wants to come out to play when the steel rings, and their blood pounds?

What form your Rage takes (if you're looking for examples, check out my 50 Shades of Rage post) is one of the biggest factors in who your barbarian is. But why they would try to keep it hidden, or tightly controlled, also says a lot about them. So keep that in mind, and ask how it's going to create a more unique story.

And remember, the goal is not to never use your Rage. That's no fun. But it's to save it so that when the eyes go green and the music starts playing, we all know that the Other Guy is about to wreck the house.

For more handy tips, don't forget to check out 5 Tips For Playing Better Barbarians!

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned For More!

That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a game master.

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my most recent collection of short stories The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

How To Create a Character Conversion in 4 Simple Steps!

Those who've been regular readers of my work for the past two years know that one of my favorite RPG hobbies is character conversions. For those who haven't been reading me that long, now you know. All you need to do is stop by the Character Conversions page, and you'll see my takes on the Avengers, Gotham City's vigilantes, and on a pretty big swath of the Game of Thrones cast.

Some swaths are bigger than others.

Since I started writing character conversions I've gotten a lot of praise, some thoughtful additions, and one recurring question; how do you make a character conversion?

It's harder than it looks, but I guarantee you it's easier than you think it is.

Step One: Choose Your Character

This seems self-explanatory, and at least some of you reading this had a character in mind before you got to this step. That's good. Now ask yourself, can I play this character?

Also, just because you CAN, that doesn't mean you SHOULD.

I'll give you an example of what I'm talking about. After I finished my most recent character build for Loras Tyrell, the Knight of the Flowers a Reddit user asked me how I would build Prince/King Joffrey. I answered that I wouldn't, not because I find Joffrey to be a repugnant human being, but because he doesn't fit the mold for a player character.

In an RPG the character you're playing has to have both the ability to act, as well as the desire to do so. The problem with characters like Joffrey Baratheon, his mother Queen Circe, and even (it could be argued) Tywin Lannister is that they are not characters that do, they are characters who have it done. While these characters might make ideal NPCs for a game, their preferred methods of "order an underling to do my bidding," makes then passive participants.

Put another way, M is a necessity to MI-6, but I'm pretty sure you'd rather play James Bond.

Step Two: Identify That Character's Traits

Characters are known by their traits. Think about the Hulk. He's inhumanly strong, durable, brimming with rage... oh, and he normally looks like this guy.

Incredible!

A character's defining traits are what make them who they are, and as such they represent the core ideas you're going to have to convert. Whether it's how Sir Lancelot was a knight who only kept his legendary strength as long as he remained true, or how Wolverine has adamantium claws, the nose of a tracking hound, and a regenerating anatomy, you're creating a list of things your final conversion needs to have in order to accurately represent the character's abilities.

Step Three: Represent Those Traits

It seems pretty easy, at a glance. Once you have your complete list of traits all you have to do is figure out some way to translate them into your game world. The question you have to ask yourself at this point is what things must be translated in a certain way in order for the conversion to work, and which things can be re-skinned or hand-waved simply to give you the feeling of the character?

I feel an example coming on...

Thanks to the power of movie magic (and the charisma of Robert Downey Junior), Iron Man is one of Marvel's most popular characters. With three movies all his own, as well as appearances in two Avengers movies at time of writing, Iron Man has inspired somewhere between dozens and hundreds of gamers to try and create their own armored titan in their games of choice.

If you were to go to Paizo's forums and post the question, "How Do I Build Iron Man in Pathfinder?" you'd get a dozen different suggestions within the hour. You might also start a flame war that will get the question shut down pretty quickly, because everyone has an opinion on this issue. The most common suggestions you're going to get are:

- Play a straight Magus. Stark is a genius, and this class lets you cast in full armor with no penalties pretty fast.

- Play a Summoner with the Synthesist archetype. This lets you summon your eidolon and wear it like armor, allowing you to wreck shit at level 1.

- Play a Wizard/Fighter/Eldritch Knight. You'll be able to fight and cast spells without really losing the access to what you can do as a wizard, and you'll be able to craft your own armor.

- Play a 3rd party class. This thing was specifically built to have an Iron Man feel to it.

Now, none of these are inherently wrong. If you examine the motivation behind the choice, though, you'll find different players are interested in different aspects of the character. For instance, the Magus players often feel that the ability to use magic while wearing armor is enough to accurately portray the character, especially since magi draw their power from their intelligence. Summoners, on the other hand, often feel that Iron Man should be a powerhouse, and that they should be able to throw their weight around at level 1 instead of building up to the armored Avenger by level 15 or 16. The third option is typically offered by players who take a long-game view, and will re-enact a fantasy version of Stark discovering and refining his armor, instead of simply being a spellcaster who can do his thing while encased in steel.

Players who suggest 3rd party material often feel that if someone has already gone to all the hard work of creating a class that is meant to let you play this specific archetype, thereby rendering conversion on your part minimal, why not do that?

When I decided to write my Iron Man Pathfinder conversion I had a single goal for it; actually creating the armor. That was why I advocated a wizard with all of the feats and skills necessary to forge magical construct armor, which protects the magic user inside, and grants the wearer all sorts of additional strengths and powers. Flight? Sure. Durability and strength? Covered. Gauntlet loaded with wands for disposable searing ray? Yup, got that, too.

Step Four: Whip Cream, Cherries, Enjoy!

The last step in a character conversion is figuring out how much of the initial character's story gets poured into the new mold. For example, if you want to make Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane, how much of him are you putting in? He's monstrous big and monstrous strong, yes, but is he also a knight? Is your version a brutal killer, or is he a misunderstood monster who uses his size to stop problems so he doesn't have to pull steel?

Do you go all the way, find a halfway point, or scrap the story entirely and create one of your own?

Lastly, remember how I said there's no wrong way to do a character conversion? It's an extension of the rules that says there's no wrong way to enjoy playing a character. While there are some conversions that are more accurate than others (making your Hulk a Master Chymist who actually changes forms when he hulks out according to game mechanics, instead of simply playing a barbarian who has a mental schism when he rages according to player flavor, for example), how much accuracy you need for the conversion to be complete is entirely up to you as a player.

As always, if you want to support Improved Initiative then stop by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page and become a patron today! If you want to make sure you don't miss even a single update then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter to stay plugged-in.

The Avengers, Fantasy Edition

This week on Moon Pope Monday we do away with the amusing and present something amazing! The Avengers are assembled, but their looks have been tweaked for a fantasy setting. If you've ever wondered what the team would look like wrecking medieval mayhem, well wonder no longer!

Also, for those who are curious, Pathfinder builds for every character (excluding Nick Fury... for now) may be found here. Lastly, for more updates, follow us on Facebook or on Tumblr; the latter is where I found this series, but the originals may be found at Deviant Art here by the Durrrrian.

Now, without further ado...